WWII Freedom Flight To Nation's Capital Brings History To Life For Texas
Students

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WWII Freedom Flight
To Nation's Capital Brings History To Life For Texas Students

By
Mike Mitchell

May 26, 2011 - Don Graves fought at Iwo Jima, one of the
fiercest battles of World War II. He recalls seeing his
fellow marines raise the American flag on Mount
Suribachi, a moment captured in the now-iconic
photograph.

Victor Moiles was among thousands of U.S. soldiers at
the Battle of the Bulge, the final major Nazi offensive
against the Allied forces, fought in the winter of
1944-45 in the dense, snowy forests of Belgium's
Ardennes region.

Stories like these are helping to bring World War II
history to life for 60 students from
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD (GCISD) today, as they board
the American Airlines 757 yellow-ribbon aircraft,
"Flagship Freedom," for a trip to Washington, D.C.

The
students will accompany a group of veterans for a day featuring
in-flight learning, interviews with veterans, and visits to
important monuments, including the World War II Memorial, which
43 of the veterans will be seeing for the first time.

The
trip is the culmination of the WWII Freedom Flight program,
developed by GCISD in partnership with American Airlines and
supported by the Fort Worth Airpower Foundation. The program is
designed to give students a direct and enduring understanding of
the connection between the rights and freedoms we enjoy today
and the heroes whose sacrifices made them possible.

"The WWII
Freedom Flight program has already exceeded our expectations as
an educational experience for the students," said Dr. Robin
Ryan, Superintendent of Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. "The feedback
from teachers and administrators has been tremendous; every
school in the district has been engaged in the program through
classroom activity or student involvement with the competitions.
We have already seen the bonds developing between the students
and the veterans, and we know this will only strengthen during
today's trip to Washington, D.C."

The 60
student ambassadors were selected for the trip from among more
than 1,200 who submitted entries to two district-wide
competitions held in March and April: a challenge coin design
contest and an "Expressions of Freedom" competition that invited
students to submit projects in various media illustrating how
they would honor the nation's veterans. Ambassadors have
specific assignments and duties associated with their role, and
the overall experience is intended to provide a learning
opportunity they will remember for a lifetime.

"The veterans
participating in this trip will serve as the single best history lesson
a student can ever experience," said Lisa Arpey, program leader of WWII
Freedom Flight. "We hope that WWII Freedom Flight will help shape our
students into self-directed, accountable young men and women who are
motivated to do their best ? not just because they are told to do so,
but because they understand why they should."

The veterans and
students ambassadors were honored during a community-wide "Celebration
of Freedom Night" held the evening of May 9 at Grapevine High School.
Special guest speakers included Medal of Honor recipient SSG (Ret.)
Salvatore Giunta and Mary Eisenhower, President and CEO of People to
People International.

An overflow crowd
of all ages gathered for the event, which also featured a parachute jump
by SFC (Ret.) Dana Bowman, a former member of the U.S. Army Golden
Knights elite military parachute team; a tandem jump by Golden Knight
SFC Mike Elliott and GCISD's superintendent Dr. Robin Ryan; and musical
performances by recording artists Steve Amerson, Matt Snook and Helene
Cronin.

WWII Freedom
Flight is designed to provide meaningful engagement in the classroom and
community. The program encompasses a wide variety of elements and
activities for students, including a social studies curriculum that aims
to improve student literacy about the fundamentals of democracy. Future
plans are to expand the WWII Freedom Flight program into other school
districts across the nation.

Grapevine-Colleyville ISD is a K-12 public school system located in the
heart of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The 54.1-square mile district
consists of 17 traditional schools and two alternative campuses serving
approximately 13,600 students and 1,650 employees. The mission of GCISD
is to be The BEST by Building Excellent Schools Together and we are
committed to educational excellence for every child, in every classroom,
every day. GCISD has 11 National Blue Ribbon Schools and both high
schools have been named to Newsweek magazine's list of top performing
high schools in the nation.

GCISD students
consistently exceed state and national scores on academic performance
exams and college readiness assessments. The district has earned the
highest rating of "Superior Achievement" under the Financial Integrity
Rating System of Texas for each year since the program's inception in
2001 and is recognized for best practices in purchasing policies and
procedures.

Key to continuing success and accomplishing our mission
is honoring our district's rich history while planning
strategically for the future. This spring, work
continues on three large, community-engaged initiatives
as the district prepares for an upcoming bond election
on May 14, monitors school finance developments at the
state level, and implements a new strategic plan to
guide future educational decisions.